NEW YORK - May 11 - From May 11th to 16th, US
conscientious objectors (CO's) and CO's from around the
world will gather in New York City and Washington DC for
Operation Refuse War, a week of conferences,
demonstrations, and actions in celebration of
International Conscientious Objectors Day, May 15th.
Operation Refuse War will be an opportunity for
conscientious objectors, anti-war activists, and
military families to come together to share strategies
and build community. Participants are coming from South
Korea, Eritrea, Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, Canada,
Britain, Israel, Macedonia, Bosnia, Germany, and across
the United States. This week of action will highlight
the difficulties that current conscientious objectors
face as well as help build relationships and connections
between the various communities within the anti-war
movement. In addition, Operation Refuse War will bring
together international and American conscientious
objectors to share their experiences and ideas with the
public.
Public Activities will include:
* We Will Not Kill: International Conscientious
Objectors Speak Out! Thursday May 11th 2006 7pm-9pm
Location: Friends Meeting House, 15 Rutherford Place,
New York, NY
* Operation Refuse War: An International Conference
of Resisters to Global War Washington DC, May 13-14 2006
This two day conference will be an opportunity to
connect domestic and international anti war organizers
For a full schedule of events, visit
operationrefusewar.org
Other Related Events in Washington DC: Lobby Day on
Capitol Hill for CO Recognition (organized by the Center
on Conscience & War), Eyes Wide Open Exhibit on the
Mall, GI Rights Hotline Gathering, Silent March Against
the War in Iraq and a number of other events.
Sponsoring organizations include the War Resisters
League, War Resisters International American Friends
Service Committee Youth and Militarism Program, the
Center on Conscience & War, the Washington Peace Center,
the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition, Iraq
Veterans Against the War - NYC Chapter, Military Law
Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild, Fellowship of
Reconciliation: Disarmament Program, Central Committee
for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO), and Student Peace
Action Network (SPAN) (List in formation) Since the
1980s, May 15th has been celebrated as International
Conscientious Objectors' Day. Each year, War Resisters'
International holds activities in a country where
conscientious objectors face persecution or harassment.
Previous locations have included the Balkans in 2002,
Israel in 2003, Chile in 2004, and Greece in 2005. In
addition, a similar gathering of conscientious objectors
has been held each year in Washington, DC to forward the
rights of conscientious objectors in the United States.
This year, CO's from the US and other countries will
meet together to strengthen their common efforts.
